Five Children Bruce Wayne Never Had
by Captain-Emily
Summary: A series of AU ficlets, each featuring a different child, written for the "Five Nevers" challenge. Chapter five, in which Lily waits for her Daddy to come home after patrol, is up.
1. Ava

**Disclaimer:** I do not own DC Comics or any of their characters.

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_Five Children Bruce Wayne Never Had_

**Ava**

oOo

A heart-stopping scream pierces the night and Bruce is out of bed before the voice fades. Within seconds he is down the hall, his wife two steps behind him. Throwing open a door they find a young dark-haired girl adrift in a sea of rumpled Wonder Woman bed sheets. Her tearstained face is half-hidden behind the body of a giant stuffed canary, its plush yellow body worn and stained from enduring six years of the girl's friendship.

Bruce rushes to the bed, pulling the adorable little moppet into his arms. With comforting platitudes and whispered promises, he chases the last remnants of the nightmare away. He carefully places Mary the Canary in the sleeping girl's arms, then tucks her in and joins his wife across the room.

Wrapping his arms around Dinah and pulling her close, Bruce pretends not to notice her watery eyes as she studies the massive hole in the wall. He can hear the tearful pride in her voice when she laughs.

"Do you see the size of this thing? It's at least two feet wider than the last time she had a nightmare. I couldn't scream like that when I was six!"

"That's wonderful, dear," Bruce replies, unable to hide his own proud smile.

oOo

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**Author's Note:** Bruce Wayne and Dinah Lance/Black Canary.


	2. Mara

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Bruce Wayne or any other DC characters.

oOo

_Five Children Bruce Wayne Never Had_

**Mara**

Both the New York Times and People magazine are already calling her one of the most influential people on the planet. The bidding war for the rights to publish her first picture is currently at 75 million dollars, well over the 20 million given for the latest of Brad and Angelina's brood.

The world is abuzz with speculation: How was she created—science, magic, or both? Can she fly? How strong is she? It was Lois Lane of the Daily Planet that originally coined the nickname by which the world now knows her.

She is Trinity—the sole biological child of Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman.

And though she has yet to make a public appearance, it is already expected that one day she will take up the mantle of savior and join her parents in the pantheon of the world's greatest heroes.

oOo

Sounds of celebration echo throughout the halls of stately Wayne Manor. The ringing, boyish laughter of Dick, Tim, and Kon mingles with the more subdued, but equally happy, conversation of Queen Hippolyta, the elder Kents, Alfred, and J'onn—who as of an hour ago was named the child's godfather.

Tucked away in the master bedroom, a weary Diana rests, propped up by a mountain of pillows in the middle of an oversized bed.

To her left is Clark. Glasses forgotten, he is content to merely sit beside Diana, his fingers idly toying with a lock of her hair. Looking up, he catches Bruce's eye and grins beatifically, happy to play the part of the proud father.

Bruce sits to Diana's right. All traces of his masks absent, he merely watches his partners. He catches Clark's silly grin and the barest trace of a smile graces his own face. For the first time in recent memory, he is completely and utterly content.

Two-day-old Mara, the newest edition to the family, lies sleeping in Diana's arms. She has Bruce's ice-blue eyes, Diana's pert nose, and a shock of glossy black hair with a single unruly curl in the center of her forehead.

The trio knows that soon the outside world will intrude and they'll be pulled out of the manor and back into the harshness of reality. But for now they have each other, they have their daughter, and they have the rest of their unique little family close at hand.

It may not be perfect, but it's close enough.

oOo

**Author's Note:**Bruce Wayne, Diana/Wonder Woman, and Clark Kent/Superman.


	3. Zachary

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Bruce Wayne or any other DC or Harry Potter characters.

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_Five Children Bruce Wayne Never Had_

**Zachary**

oOo

Zachary Zatara-Wayne double-checked the lock on Basil, his pet fruit bat's, cage before setting it atop his trunk. His blue eyes watched the brightly-colored kaleidoscope of witches and wizards milling about on the platform as they eagerly awaited the arrival of the Hogwarts Express. Judging by his unpleasant expression, one might have thought he was studying a particularly unsavory garbage bin. He sniffed disdainfully and turned to his parents.

"Really? Pointed hats and robes? How positively Tolkienesque. Don't they realize how ridiculous they look?"

Zatanna rolled her eyes at the precocious eleven year old and gave Bruce an amused look. Neither was inclined to point out their son's own odd attire of jeans, tuxedo jacket, and the ever-present top hat.

"I still don't see why I can't stay home this year. Alfred homeschooled Dick, Jason, and Tim, and they turned out fine." Zachary hesitated as he mentally considered his brothers. "Well, they're intelligent, at least."

Zee managed to bite down on the sigh that threatened to escape. "Zach, honey—we've been through this before. While Alfred _is_ amazing, and he'd have to be to put up with your father for as long as he has, he's not a wizard. You need proper magical training, and Albus Dumbledore was a trusted friend of your Grandfather Giovanni. Besides, it'll do you good to get out of the cave and mingle with people outside the spandex crowd."

Zach's shoulders slumped and he threaded a couple of fingers through the wire on Basil's cage, gently petting the creature's head and avoiding eye contact with his mother. Clearly upset at her son's reaction, Zatanna looked to Bruce for help, then glared when she caught his "This Looks like a Job for Batman" smirk. As the founder of the Batclan, he knew precisely what it would take to make the little Bat see reason. Bruce knelt, bringing his large frame down to his son's level.

"Zach, I know you don't like this. I don't like it either, having you an ocean away where I can't keep an eye on you. But look at it this way-when I was young, I traveled and learned everything I could to make myself a better hero. Your brothers did the same; you've heard their stories. What you learn at Hogwarts, that's going to be one more skill you can utilize, one more edge you have over the bad guys. You're going to learn something that we never had the ability to. Don't waste this chance."

Zach rocked back on his heels, eyes on his boots as he considered his father's words. Then he looked Bruce in the eye and nodded solemnly before giving him a quick hug. "You're right. Thanks Dad."

Bruce ruffled his son's shaggy black hair fondly, knocking his top hat askew. The boy threw himself at his mother, hugging her as well, before the engine's shrill whistle told him that it was time to go. Zach grabbed Basil's cage and, with a snap of his fingers and a spoken "revoh knurt", he boarded the train.

With tears in her eyes, Zatanna waved to her now smiling son as the train left the station. Once it was out of sight, she turned and smacked her husband on the arm.

"And that was for…?" He drawled, playboy smirk firmly in place.

"Did you really just liken my son's entire magical education to one more tool in your utility belt?"

"Not my belt—his. And it worked, didn't it?"

Zatanna sucked an annoyed breath through her front teeth. "Bats! I swear, you're all bonkers. Why did I marry you again?"

"Oh please, don't think I missed that comment about Alfred. Besides-" Bruce pulled his wife close and dropped a kiss on her neck in that spot just below her left ear that he knew drove her crazy. Then, in a voice normally reserved for when he was wearing the cape and cowl, he growled, "I can think of a few reasons."

Zee squirmed in her husband's steel grip, turning to face him. Not willing to concede the battle just yet, she said "I'm still not happy with you." But the severity of the statement was undermined by her heavy breathing.

He chuckled huskily. "I'm sure I'll find some way to make it up to you."

The kiss that followed caused many a raised eyebrow and reddened cheek amongst those still lingering on the platform.

"You know," Bruce said, "we'll get to the hotel faster if you teleport us. We can come back for the car later."

She sighed, defeated. "I know you're trying to distract me from the Hogwarts thing, but damnit—it's working."

Bruce's laughter was abruptly cut off by Zatanna's command, "tropelet ot letoh moor. Dekan"

oOo

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**Author's Note:** Bruce Wayne/Batman and Zatanna Zatara, sometimes known as the Mistress of Magic. In case you're not familiar with Zee, she performs her spells by speaking backwards.

This was a bit of a crossover with Harry Potter. Given my love of crossovers, especially those between DCU and HP, it seemed appropriate.


	4. Kon

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Bruce Wayne or any other DC characters.

_**WARNING:**__ This chapter contains character death._

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oOo

_Five Children Bruce Wayne Never Had_

**Kon**

The facility was a well-kept secret. In the middle of rural Kansas, its drab industrial exterior gave no clue to the illegal cutting-edge research happening inside. Only a few scientists and one or two top executives actually knew that the facility was designed to study and reverse-engineer alien technology. Not even those few knew that it was one of Lex Luthor's "off-the-books" projects.

When an experiment went wrong and the building exploded, over 40,000 lives were extinguished by resultant shockwave. Entire families, gathered for the Christmas holidays, were destroyed. In the time it takes to flip a light switch, every living being within a twenty mile radius was killed instantly.

_Almost_ every living being.

oOo

The video was on all the news channels. The haunting image of a distraught Superman, all pretense of a secret identity cast aside, facing down a nervous Lex Luthor. The criminal genius was quite aware that with the death of his parents and beloved wife Lois, Superman was at a breaking point. Luthor, never one to let pass an opportunity to taunt his nemesis, openly mocked the man and his deceased loved ones. Brandishing a kryptonite crystal, he freely admitted his guilt and challenged "the boy scout" to do something about it.

But once Luthor found out about the hidden camera, linked to the Justice League's satellites and beaming his confession into every home in America, rage clouded his judgment.

In the end Superman, the nigh-invincible Man of Steel, got Lex Luthor's damning public confession of mass murder and a kryptonite bullet to the head.

oOo

The world was in mourning for its fallen hero and the occupants of Wayne Manor were no exception. Sitting before a massive bank of computers deep inside the cave, Batman, cowl long-abandoned, clutched a red cape. It was one of Clark's spares, given to Bruce for safekeeping in the event that the Man of Steel should ever need to be in two places at once.

The world had lost a hero, but Bruce Wayne had lost a friend and a brother. He bowed his head, his grip on the cape tightening. He would make a display case for Clark, an honorary member of the Batclan, here in the cave—but it didn't seem like enough. Surely there was something that he could do that was worthy of such a great man's memory.

He heard footsteps and looked up to find Dick seating himself on the cold cave floor at his feet, leaning against his father's leg in search of warmth and comfort. The young man's eyes were red and he made no effort to hide that he'd been crying. He had adored Clark too, looked at him like a beloved uncle. Bruce gently rubbed his son's shoulder, feeling a bit of tension ease. His oldest Robin wanted to talk, so Bruce listened.

Suddenly, he knew how to honor Clark's memory.

oOo

The boy trudged down the hallway of stately Wayne Manor, eyes never leaving the ornately-patterned red carpet. Bruce wanted to reach out, offer some sort of condolence, but he knew that what the boy really needed right now was time to grieve. They climbed the stairs and stopped at the fourth room on the right. Bruce opened the door and gestured for the boy to enter.

"This is your room. Tim is next door, Dick is across the hall, and Jason's room is next to Dick's. Alfred is two doors down and I'm in the room at the top of the stairs should you need anything."

Kon-El—all that remained of the once mighty House of El and the warm, loving Kent family—stared unseeingly at the room around him before dropping his backpack on the floor and collapsing heavily on the end of the bed. With his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands, the boy's grief was evident in every inch of his body. It saddened Bruce to see the young man who could move mountains with his bare hands struggling with the weight of the world on his shoulders.

On impulse, he reached out to rest a hand on Kon's shoulder. "I know that it's hard now, but it does get easier."

It felt like a lie. After all, Bruce had dedicated his whole life to his parents' memory. But right now the young man needed comfort more than he needed honesty.

Bruce turned to leave, hesitating with his hand on the doorknob. "I know you don't feel like celebrating, but we usually spend Christmas Eve in the study if you'd like to join us." With that, he stepped into the hallway, closing the door behind him.

oOo

Bruce was surprised when later that night Kon appeared, standing awkwardly in the doorway of the study. He looked awful—swollen eyes, mussed hair, and wrinkled clothes—but no one cared about that. Tim beckoned Kon over to share the couch with him. Bruce sent a silent thank you to all three of his boys as he watched Dick smoothly bring Kon into the conversation, as Jason tried throwing out sarcastic comments in an effort to make Kon smile, and as Tim sat close by, merely offering comfort with his presence. His Robins truly were amazing. Soon they had the young Kryptonian talking. He was far from his normal vibrant and jovial self, but it was a start.

Bruce allowed himself to relax as he watched his sons, all four of them, attempt to con Alfred into letting them open Christmas presents early. Alfred—his loyal butler, friend, and father-figure. It was at that moment that Bruce realized he had been so focused on the family he'd lost, he'd hardly noticed that he'd gained a new one. Perhaps he hadn't been lying to Kon after all—maybe it did get easier with time.

A warmth that had nothing to do with the blazing fireplace spread throughout his soul, causing him to smile softly up at the picture of his mother and father. In that moment, sitting there surrounded by his family, Bruce knew that his parents were proud of him.

oOo

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**Author's Note:** For those unfamiliar with the character, Kon-El (Superboy) is a half-Kryptonian clone created using the combined DNA of Superman and Lex Luthor.


	5. Lily

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Bruce Wayne or any other DC characters.

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oOo

_Five Children Bruce Wayne Never Had_

**Lily**

"Alfred?", Bruce called into the emptiness of the cave, removing his cape and cowl.

Alfred emerged from the shadows at his right, one finger to his lips and the other hand gesturing in the direction of the Batcomputer. Bruce spotted a lock of red hair draped over an arm of his oversized computer chair and sighed exasperatedly.

"Miss Lily was most insistent that she wait for you down here, sir," Alfred whispered. "Shall I carry her to bed?"

"No Alfred," Bruce said, handing the butler his gloves, belt, and cape. "Let me."

"As you wish." Alfred's eyes twinkled knowingly, but he kept his usual dry wit in check as he busied himself restocking a utility belt.

Bruce approached the monitors silently. His little girl was curled up in the chair, only the top of her red head visible as she huddled under one of his capes. He set the cape aside and gently lifted the child, cradling her close to his body. Bleary green eyes cracked open. "'Lo Daddy", she mumbled, still half-asleep. She snuggled closer, her arms wrapping around his neck and her head resting on the yellow symbol on his chest.

Lily was once again sound asleep before he even made it to the grandfather clock.

Being careful not to wake her, he tucked Lily in with her favorite Batman blanket and stuffed Robin doll, then softly kissed her forehead. He then put his stealth training to use, creeping around the room to check the locks on the windows and pull the door to as he silently headed back to the cave.

oOo

Hours later, long after the rest of the household had retired for the night, Lily began to whimper. Trapped in the grips of a nightmare, she clung tightly to her doll as she thrashed about, legs tangled in sweat-soaked sheets. The potted rose bush on her nightstand began to stir. A single branch reached out, entwining through the iron headboard and slithering over the pillow. One of the buds burst into bloom, white petals gleaming in the moonlight. The flower lovingly brushed the sleeping child's cheek, as green as the grass after spring's first rainstorm, until the worry lines on her forehead were chased away and she once again slipped into a peaceful sleep.

oOo

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**Author's Note:** Bruce Wayne and Poison Ivy/Pamela Isley.

I'm not exactly happy with this, but it's been so long since I've posted something that I decided to go ahead and put it up anyway.

Also, the title of this series might be "Five Children…", but I've got a couple more ficlets I'd like to add before I close it out.

I don't really have a solid history in mind for how Lily came to be, but I'm fairly certain that it isn't a happy story. Whether it was an experiment or something more sinister, Bruce had little choice in her creation. However, I think he's too much of a good person to allow something like that to affect how he treats his own daughter.

Also, I know that Ivy is sterile. Let's assume, at least for the purpose of this fic, that she found a way.


End file.
